The present disclosure relates to devices, systems and methods for dispensing hand hygiene maintenance material. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a dispenser of hand hygiene maintenance material that provides reminders and tracking of use of the dispenser and the relation of that use compared to a desired use pattern.
Healthcare-associated infections remain one of the most significant sources of morbidity and mortality among hospital patients worldwide. In the United States there are an estimated 1.7 million healthcare-associated infections in hospitals resulting in approximately 80-100,000 deaths each year adding $4.5 to $5.7 billion to patient care costs. Transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens most often occurs via the contaminated hands of health care workers due to failure to use proper hand washing technique or failure to hand wash altogether before every patient contact. Compliance rates for basic hand washing techniques have been cited between about 25-50%. Failure to remember to comply with hand washing protocol prior to every patient contact is probably the most significant factor for low compliance rates. Other factors including understaffing and overcrowding further exacerbate this problem.
Recognizing a worldwide need to improve hand washing in health care facilities the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its “Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care (Advanced Draft) in October 2005. These global consensus guidelines reinforce the need for multidimensional strategies as the most effective approach to promote hand hygiene. Key elements include adoption of alcohol-based hand rub as the primary method for hand hygiene and the use of performance indicators to assess the compliance with hand washing policies. Presently, the only routine monitoring of compliance involves direct visual observation of hand hygiene by hospital personnel. In the CDC's monograph many recommendations are indicated. These include: 1) to develop a device to facilitate the use and optimal application of hand hygiene agents, 2) to monitor hand hygiene adherence by ward or service staff and 3) to provide feedback to personnel regarding staff performance using the new device.
A definite correlation has been shown between improved hand hygiene compliance and a decreased incidence of hospital acquired nosocomial infections, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Furthermore, easy access to alcohol-based hand rub has been determined to be an independent predictor of improved hand hygiene compliance. In addition, 8 out of 9 hospital-based studies from 1977-2000 clearly demonstrate a temporal relationship between improved hand hygiene and reduced nosocomial infection rates, especially MRSA.
Another very recent incentive to reduce hospital-acquired infections was a new rule imposed by Medicare on Oct. 1, 2008, which stated their refusal to pay hospitals for catheter-associated urinary tract and vascular catheter-associated infections. It is likely that private insurance companies will soon put this same rule into effect. The incidence of both types of infections can be significantly reduced by adequate hand washing technique, which could save hospitals millions of dollars in reimbursements.
Visitors who do not use adequate hand washing techniques and then have direct contact with patients are another possible source of hospital acquired infections. This potential problem needs to be addressed and resolved as well.
Embodiments of the device of the present disclosure records hand hygiene compliance for all individuals who enter a monitored room. The recorded data can then be utilized to track compliance of a particular unit/ward to allow targeted training to improve compliance on that unit/ward. Immediate follow up data can also be supplied relating to the efficiency of the training. It can also track data at night and on weekends, when the presently used visual observation method is not routinely employed.